Rajnath Singh promises happy ending to BJP meet

Panaji, June 8 (IANS) Amid reports of rift within the BJP especially after L.K. Advani's decision to skip the national executive meeting, party president Rajnath Singh said the conclave would end on a positive note and every one will go back "happy".

In his inaugural address to the national executive meeting here, Rajnath Singh said everyone will go home "happy, energised and enthusiastic", party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

The BJP president started his speech expressing regret over the Maoist attack on the Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh last month and moved on to congratulate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the recent party victory in the by-polls.

He called the by-polls' outcome an "encouraging development".

Modi has been at the centre of attention in the meeting, with speculation being rife that he would be made the chief of the party's campaign committee for the 2014 general election.

Talking about terror and the Maoist problem, Rajnath Singh said these had aggravated due to the "misguided policies of the central government".

"Unless there is an integrated approach there will be no permanent solution to both the problems," he said.

"If even after ruling for 56 years, out of the 66 years since Independence, the resource rich areas of the country are under the influence of naxalism, the policies of the Congress are directly responsible for it," Rajnath Singh said.

"The biggest problem is that the Congress and the Left parties have made huge mistakes by protecting people who believe in an extremist ideology and violent activities," he said.